The Trailer For 'The Purge' Sequel Has Arrived

2013's futuristic horror flick The Purge was a smashing success at the box office, which means one thing: We're getting a sequel. The Purge: Anarchy trailer premiered Thursday and after watching it, it's obvious the creators are going for an edgier, scarier version of the first.

For those of you who haven't seen The Purge, the film is set in a world (or, rather, a "rebirthed" America) where leaders have decided to allot one 12-hour time period where all crime, including murder, is legal. That period of time is called "the purge," and its purpose is to alleviate all of the crime throughout the rest of the year by having people, uh, "get it out of their systems." Because Americans are a bunch of sadists who only refrain from killing their friends and neighbors because of the legal trouble.

The first film starred Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey as a wealthy couple whose fancy security system has protected them from the outside world during the annual purge, but when their kindhearted son lets in a homeless man who is being hunted by a bunch of vicious prep school kids, all hell breaks loose. Despite the lunacy of the concept, the film is pretty smart in its critical view of the moral implications that come with living in a world where you can be as cruel as you want without risk of punishment.

The new film has a different concept and is set during the following year's purge. The trailer shows a couple — played by Friday Night Lights' Zach Gilford and his real-life wife, Kiele Sanchez — freaking out as their car comes to a slow halt in the middle of a road... right before a voice announces the commencement of the purge. There's nowhere to hide and no emergency services to assist them, so their only solution is to find a way to survive the night.

As with any good horror film, the sequel to The Purge boasts lots and lots of people in scary masks and face paint, which is ALMOST as scary as the plastic masks from the original. While I enjoyed the first Purge, the sequel has higher stakes and will introduce us to what happens during the purge outside of the safe, quiet, secured suburban homes.

Image: Universal Pictures